Pulling Tides
by secn21
Summary: War is always messy. Physically, politically, and emotionally. It changes people, and changes things between people. AU-The Fourth Shinobi War, OC
1. Chapter 1

|AU-The Fourth Shinobi War, OC| Since this is an AU, there will be certain things that will be changed. Also, I kind of wanted to focus a lot on the psychological affects of war on the main characters in this story, so if you're looking for a perfect, 100% true to heart portrayal of each of the characters, then this probably isn't for you. I definitely am still portraying each character as themselves, but War does things to people. It's hell on Earth. You see your friends die, you see strangers die. It changes people. Especially to people so young. So I want to show that. And I kind of picked a random crew to write about, Shino, Ino, and Kiba. But I like all of the character individually, and I feel like since they were in the same Division, they would spend time together. When things like War happen, you tend to gravitate towards the people you know.

Pulling Tides

Chapter One

Mess

The tents were small, only able to fit two people in each. But this was the fifth division, we had to break down fast and move fast. It was why the tents were made simply, strong, and easily deconstructed. Each tent had a scroll, one that would seal it inside with little issue. We were the backup-meant to be strong, to be fast, and to come at a seconds call. I think my mother almost died of a heart attack when I told her I was being stationed here.

I didn't have the heart to tell her why; she was a civilian. She didn't quite understand what shinobi could be forced to do. In her eyes I was her baby. Not a killer. Not a soldier.

She cried when I left. I think a part of her resented the fact that I could be so calm under these types of situations. But she did give me her scarf-black, easily hidden but warm under my flak jacket. Hitomi had given me gloves, thick and made of hyde. They were deep in my bag, and I didn't want to make a fool of myself by pulling everything out to find them

I'd have to thank them for the gifts the next time I saw them. Better yet, I should write them. Hitomi begged me to write her. And how couldn't I? But there was a reality that I did have to face.

This was war.

There was no guarantee I was going home.

The Land of Iron was cold this time of year, snow covered and frigid. There was already snow piling outside of each tent, footprints leading away to and from the pathway in the middle of the tents and to the tent flaps. The tents looked like they were made of thick material-and I begged that it kept in heat.

The largest tent was the mess hall, near which I was meant to find my bunk mate-Ino Yamanaka.

I'd seen her around Konoha, back when I was a genin and before the war. Talkative, vicious, and gossip hungry, she was also known as a strong fighter. She was also a medical-nin with a talent for sensing. I just hoped that it made things less awkward, coming from the same village. No one from my graduating class was in the Fifth division, and less than half had been promoted to Chunin. Though, we were promoted through field promotions. With a war, there wasn't really time to host Chunin exams.

The last mission Tadashi, Sho and I went on together as genin was messy. Evacuation of a town-and they both nearly got killed.

I saved them, but well, it was war. It was never easy to get over.

I walked past the loud clambering mess hall, winding through the pathways according to the map I was given before I stopped briefly in front of a tent that smelt remarkably like jasmine-and then I remembered that Ino's family owned a flower shop.

Hesitantly knocking on the metal structure holding the frame up, I entered.

Ino Yamanaka looked up from her perch on her cot, eyebrows raised. Her long blonde hair was pulled away from her face, and her hair was cut shorter than it was before. She was wearing her standard uniform, but without the flak jacket. Her clear blue eyes looked blank for a second.

"Yamanaka-san, I'm Momo Kaga and I've been assigned to bunk with you." I said politely, trying not to be too awkward.

She looked me up and down for a second, trying to place me.

"You're from Konoha?" She asked, looking at the headband sticking out of my bag.

I looked down and up again, nodding. "Yes, I graduated two years after you."

"And you're a chunin? I don't remember you being promoted with me?" She asked, eyes narrowing.

"I got a field promotion." I explained.

She nodded, and shrugged. Standing up, she extended a hand, which I took gently.

"We move in and out a lot, but depending on your orders we may never even be in the field together. I'm primarily a field medic. Unless you're a medic?" She asked, tilting her head.

"No, I'm not. I primarily work with Genjutsu and Taijutsu." She nodded and shrugged.

"Well, I'm gonna go out to eat with Kiba and Shino, once you've got your cot settled, wanna come with? You should probably put on gloves too. The box in the corner is where your cot is, unroll it and it has bedding in it."

She was inspecting me up and down. She looked like she was categorizing something. I was easily three inches shorter, and thinner. I didn't have much of a shape, well, not like her anyways. I'd always been slim and kind of...well narrow.

My hands were bright red from the cold, and my ears were too.

"To be honest, when they told me that it was cold here, I didn't quite expect it to be this cold." She snorted.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I mean, it's bad enough that they make us wear this boring uniform, but then to put us in one of the coldest camps? As if the war wasn't sucky enough." She rolled her eyes and sat back down on her cot, grabbing a magazine.

"Take your time, Kiba and Shino usually spar almost until sundown." I nodded.

"Thank you, Yamanaka-san." I said quietly and she groaned.

"Ino, please. That's what they call my dad. Ugh."

I looked back at her. "Sorry, Ino." She shrugged.

"You're kind of...meek, aren't you?" She tilted her head watching closely.

I swallowed. "Well, I don't really know anyone here. My teammates were all placed in different divisions, and well, there weren't many of us in my graduating class that were given field promotions." I explained. "I'm just kind of nervous." She shrugged.

"Don't be. I don't bite. I may talk shit but so long as you don't talk about me, I won't talk about you, deal?" A startled laugh escaped me, and I nodded.

"Deal, Ino."

"So, Momo? Got a boyfriend back home?" She asked as I pulled the cot into the opposite side of her. I looked back, eyebrows up.

"No. I don't." I replied honestly. Pulling it apart, the bedding was rolled tightly. I put it aside to set up the cot and locked it in place before pulling apart the bedding. I put the thick wool sheets on first, following with the second set of sheets. These ones weren't as thick, but still warm presumably used to make the sheet below it more comfortable. I put the pillow on the sheets and then I placed the comforter over it.

"You should secure your comforter to your cot, trust me, it gets cold during dawn when the fire loses heat. We're only rationed a certain amount of wood a week.. And pity, what, don't like dating?" She asked, and I did as she instructed.

"To be honest? I never really was close to most of the guys I was around." I answered quietly, grabbing my bag and pulling it apart. I re-folded my second set of clothes and placed them on my bed, and then pulled out two scrolls; one had weapons sealed in it, back up if I should ever need it. The second scroll had my animal summons on it, just in case. I placed everything I didn't need back in my bag and put on my gloves.

"What, not cute enough?" She teased.

"I don't know, they were all mostly so focused on proving themselves that they acted like kunoichi couldn't be shinobi. And I...I'm not really into that." I finished quietly, using the strips that were rolled into the comforter to strap around the cot.

She snorted. "It's so annoying, right? When I was younger, I thought it was cute, watching other teammates do that to kunoichis, but then I realized, why? I'm so glad that my team didn't do that. Although, Shika is lazy as hell. And Choji could focus less on food more. But they never tried to protect me so much that I couldn't be a shinobi."

"You're lucky. About the time my teammates realized that I wasn't into being treated like a princess, they dropped the 'nice guy' act."

She snorted.

"Of course. Your parents shinobi?"

I shook my head, and then hesitated. "Moms a civilian and so is her whole family. But...my biological father is a shinobi. Or was. Atleast."

Her eyes narrowed, and I could feel her begging to ask more questions, so I elaborated. Kind of.

"Dad met mom, mom fell in love. Dad was a dick, got her pregnant twice, left her to marry someone else in his clan and never bothered to see any of us again." I said, rather shortly.

"Become a better shinobi than him, then rub it in his dick-headed face." Ino said, smirking.

I laughed.

"You're not what I expected." I said quietly.

She shrugged. "I grew up a lot. War does that."

It was interesting, that she admitted that she grew up. I smiled sadly.

"Yeah, I guess it does."

* * *

The mess hall was loud. Ino called it the entertainment center; gossip, buffoonery, and well, the only entertainment anyone could get. Every friday night they played movies, too. Things were hard-but keeping things light kept everyone together. Bonding experiences, in theory I guess.

We sat down at an empty table, across from each other as she asked questions about back home, absentmindedly.

Part of me was surprised that I wasn't as quiet as I thought I would be, but then again, Ino Yamanaka was a talker. But to be honest, she didn't seem quite interested. She was...kind of withdrawn. Like she was trying to put up a mask but didn't quite have the energy anymore.

"So, you're telling me that they actually decided to go with a new style of building, for what exactly?" She asked, picking at the soup in front of her. She sounded agitated.

"Apparently it's to make more room. According to the elders, when Konoha was build they had no idea how large it would grow to be, so they're managing space. Of course, the Clans still get their land, but they're expanding their borders by a few more miles."

She snorted. "So it won't even look the same."

I nodded. "No, it won't."

She glared, but easily moved off into a different conversation before someone placed a tray next to me. Looking up, I realized that it was Shino Aburame. I moved my tray to make room. He moved around the chair to sit.

He had a hood on-like back in the village. He was covered up like an Aburame, that's for sure. He was even wearing sunglasses, in the dark. I never quite understood that.

Noisily, next to Ino, Kiba Inuzuka sat down, grinning viciously. His hair was wild and he grinned viciously.

"Kiba, Shino, meet Momo Kaga. She graduated two years behind us and is now bunking with me. And yes Kiba, she's too young for you." She announced.

Slightly alarmed, I did a double take.

"Hey Momo-chan! Don't listen to Ino! She's got her panties in a knot!" I swallowed and smiled at Kiba hesitantly. Ino flicked his temple.

"Hello." Shino Aburame said evenly, sitting down.

"Hi." I said quietly.

"So, we're taking in Genin now?" Kiba asked, though not unkindly.

"She got a field promotion. She's a Chunin." Kiba's eye twitched.

"Not fair." He muttered.

"Field promotions are necessary in a time of War. How else would we gain soldiers?" Shino said evenly, moving to eat from his tray. Kiba growled, but then shrugged.

I noticed the ninken move around the table and sit next to me, watching me easily. I didn't move as he inspected me. I stayed unmoving as he decided that I wasn't an enemy.

I looked at Kiba.

"May I pet him?" I asked. He grinned.

"If he didn't want you to, he wouldn't be around you." I turned back and smiled slightly, reaching out and scratching his ear easily. He licked my hand in some sort of friendship making and rubbed his head against my shoulder. Then went back to his partner.

"So! Where were you stationed before?" Kiba asked easily, shoving food in his mouth.

I swallowed. "My team's job was evacuating towns and villages to Kohona. I moved around a lot, but I didn't really leave the Land of Fire until I was stationed here."

"What's it like back home?" He asked.

It was a recurring question, I realized. Ino had asked twice-like she wanted to be reminded of home.

They'd been here a year. It was understandable.

"Different...they've expanded the borders. Most of the land is under construction, in the center, it's mostly a huge camp, bigger than this one. Refugees from all over Fire are travelling there."

Shino looked at me.

"Different?" He asked.

"They're changing everything." Ino said, sipping from her cup. She was staring out into space.

"Why?" Kiba asked.

I shrugged. "To fit more people. To build a larger city. They said when Konoha was build they never imagined such a large crowd. So they're building 'smarter'. The Clan lands still belong to the Clans, though." I added as an afterthought.

The silence that followed was unnerving.

I didn't like it either-the change. But then again, here they were. Fighting against a number of people, the Akatsuki. The White Zetsu. And their former classmate-Uchiha. Their home had been destroyed-levelled. They lost people. And now, they were losing their home once again.

 _War. It changes things. It changes you._ My mother told me.

I really should listen to her more often.


	2. Chapter 2

So I mentioned last chapter in the disclaimer of sorts, that this is an AU, and there would be things that are changed. The White Zetsus were nearly indestructible, but I plan on changing that, somewhat. I also am not going to focus as much on the main storyline of Naruto, but I am following it to a degree. There will be events that differ from the Manga and like I said before, I want to delve deeper into the dark on this as well as delve into the psychological struggles that people face when they go to war. It's more of a loose connection to the Manga when it comes to timeline and events. Thank you all for your time, and please leave a review if you can! It's much appreciated!

Pulling Tides

Chapter Two

I think the worst thing so far about being a rookie, at this time at least, was all of the seminars. The last thing I had expected when I was promoted to the front lines was seminars. We were at war-which seemed to be more still than I expected. I also didn't expect there to be so many seminars. Seminars on the importance of following order, staying in groups, what the white zetsus are, why we are at war, and sex.

Ino laughed at me when I looked particularly confused at the last one.

"Most of the time, we sit here, nursing the injured or waiting for orders. What do you think people do all day? Train? Sit around? Stare into the abyss of snow?"

And finally the medical exam.

I would have felt more comfortable if it was Ino-but it wasn't. And they didn't have my file, which made it even worse. I hated being in the doctor's office. Even before I became a shinobi.

"Any disabilities or hindering injuries worth noting?" The medic asked, unenthusiastically. She was a bit plain faced with brown hair and brown eyes. Her bored expression was a bit grating; because I wanted out of here as fast as possible and she looked about ready to throw me out herself. Her eye lashes though, they were jealousy inducing.

"No, not anymore." I replied.

She raised a disbelieving eyebrow and nodded towards my bare arm; heavily scarred, but healed. The burn marks on my hand had healed nearly completely. Just some scabbing and blistering on the inside of the wrist.

"It doesn't hurt. Just cosmetic." She sighed, writing it down anyways. It wasn't completely true; but compared to how it felt two weeks ago, I could deal. I could use it without wanting to punch something; so it's perfectly fine.

"Any history of illness?"

"I had greenfield fever when I was a child." Her eyebrows rose, writing it down quickly.

"And no side effects because of it? No heavy breathing, or dizzy spells? Frequent colds?

"No. Not anymore."

She paused, before flipping her paper over. "Any history of sexually transmitted infections or viruses?"

Trying not to choke, I shook my head no.

"Are you a virgin?" She asked, eyeing up and down.

"Yes." I muttered, trying my best not to blush. We were at war for kami's sake, why the hell was this being brought up so much? She nodded. This was getting more and more uncomfortable as time went on.

"Is your menstruation cycle regular?" She asked.

Nodding, I prayed that this would be over soon.

"It is highly recommended that you take contraception, regardless of whether or not you plan on having sex anytime soon. Even if you have a regular period, it will help alleviate pain and lighten your cycle." I nodded. "It comes in tea form, just drink at least once a week and it'll work-but it's best used if you drink it for the first month at least three times a week, they hand it out at breakfast every morning. I'm sure Ino can show you. Do you have any recurring nightmares?" Blinking, I struggled to take in all of that information all at once.

I shook my head no. A lie. And she could tell-but she didn't mention it or call me out on it.

"Well, if you ever do happen to develop them, there is a medication that can help with them. A lot of shinobi use them."

"Fill out the rest of this paperwork, drop it off to the secretary and you're done."

I did so quickly before I left hastily, only to run into Ino.

"Awkward, huh?" She said, eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, it was. That tea?"

"I'll get it to you tomorrow, why do you plan on putting it to use anytime soon?" She asked, grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "Not likely."

She grinned, hooking her arm around my own and she began speaking in hushed tones.

"Have you ever encountered a white zetsu?" She asked seriously.

"Seen them, but most of my missions were to evacuate towns before they got there."

She nodded.

"They're impossible to kill. Make sure that they don't touch you-they'll drain chakra from just your touch. That tanto of yours will have to be put to good use, but you should start working on deepening your chakra reserves. All you can really do when they show up is injure them enough that they can't move-but they won't die. Cut off their heads, arms, cut them in half, anything. Be careful, be precise."

I looked up at her-but she wasn't focusing on me. Her eyes were serious and cold.

"There's thousands of them, but recently they've shown the ability to regenerate-albeit slowly. But how do you fight an enemy who can regenerate, fight, and move without stopping when you're just human?"

I frowned. "Well, if they're clones, there must be some sort of weakness. Theoretically, I mean? Everything has a weakness. Even Gods." She shrugged.

"None that we've found so far. But then again, this war is turning out to be much longer than I think anyone expected. Sasuke Uchiha recently just took out an entire city-hundreds were killed and thousands dislocated from any sort of help. It's been a struggle and we haven't found a way to stop them."

I frowned but I didn't reply.

"You have an animal summons?" I looked back at her, nodding. "How'd you do that?"

"My sensei. My teammates and I have very different styles of fighting, so in order to adjust to each of us, he taught me an Animal Summons while he taught them some more advanced ninjutsu. It' proved useful since the War has started."

"What is it?"

"What is what?" Kiba asked, Akamaru happily by his side.

"Momo has an animal summons, I want to know what it is." His eyebrows rose-and then he grinned.

"You have an animal summons? What is it?"

"I already asked that, baka." Ino snapped and then turned, putting herself directly in my path.

I looked at both of them before sighing.

"Wolves. I can summon wolves-but they don't really like to be summoned unless it's a last ditch thing."

Kiba looked excited.

"Wolves? That's awesome! They'll probably have you use them, to send messages and such if you're on missions."

I snorted. "You'd think-but they're pretty lippy."

Ino rolled her eyes. "You don't seem like a wolf person." She said, head tilting.

I shrugged. "It's the same summon as my sensei. And they're pretty useful. They can send messages, track, and fight."

She sighed, seemingly disappointed before she grinned.

"Are you hungry? They have ramen today for lunch, which is better than the horrible soup that they make." Immediately I can feel myself being dragged to the mess hall, with a laughing Kiba following.

"So Momo, you have to tell me something interesting, I'm bored out of my mind."

Kiba grunted, but ducked under the flap entering the mess hall shortly after me, and followed us straight into line.

"I'm sure that you know more interesting things than I do, Ino."

She moaned. "There's nothing to do here. Tell me some gossip from back home."

"I...heard they might be putting in a new strip mall in Konoha?" Kiba groaned in aggravation as Ino's eyes lit up.

"Well, at least there's one positive thing out of changing things. More shopping, oh, Sakura-chan and I could get whole new outfits!"

I smiled back at her grinning face, taking the bowl of ramen and following her to a table where Shino already sat, reading a book.

Carefully I placed my bowl on the other side of him, and sat across from Ino, who wasn't quite as gentle with her bowl, spilling some broth out of the sides. Groaning, she sat down.

I could feel Shino's eyes on me-though the glasses kept the contact limited on my end. I flashed a small smile before Ino began talking animated about something that some girl named Yuki was hiding.

No one really stopped her-though Kiba included himself in the conversation, egging Ino on. Quietly I ate my lunch-not really tasting anything.

Most of the food here tasted bland.

Actually, all of the food that I've had so far is bland.

I miss my mothers cooking.

"You're injured." Blinking, I look up at Shino, whose staring at my scarred hand. I realized that I hadn't put my gloves back on.

Ino and Kiba halt their conversation and Ino grabs my hand, eyes narrowing.

"This is older, maybe a week or two old?" she says as she rolls up my shirt to show more scarring. "And this is even older. The blistering and scabbing though, why didn't you get it healed?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

"I did, when it first happened. But the medics were more focused on the person I pulled out of the fire than my hand. So I just made sure that it was clean and let it heal naturally after the first healing session. The rest of the scarring is from before the war."

"You pulled someone out of a fire?" Kiba asked, looking surprised.

"Fire jutsu. One of my missions before being promoted was evacuating a town under control of rogue nins. They didn't really care about civilian casualties."

"Is the person you pulled out of the fire okay?" Ino asked, as Kiba began inspecting my hand over Ino's shoulder, who is presumably looking for any sign of infection.

"50% of his body was badly burned. They did what they could, but it's unlikely he'll ever be able to walk again." I muttered.

The boys face comes to my memory-a face that I'd been trying to forget for the last two weeks. The pain in his light blue eyes and the mortifying pain that had crippled him. I had to carrying him back for two hours as he screamed until the last hour of the trip he passed out.

They told me that if I hadn't pulled him out of the fire as I did, he'd have died.

His screams still echo in my head. When I had first met him he reminded me of my sister. It had made me remember him, and picture her when I struggled across a burning forest with all those people for three hours.

"There's no infection, you've kept this clean which is good. But why didn't you get it healed after?"

I looked up at her.

"The medics were ordered not to use chakra unless necessary. My burns were second degree, but nothing pain medication and a first round of healing couldn't fix. It doesn't really hurt anymore anyways." To be honest, it wasn't until after I started to walk back, my team realized that I had been injured.

Ino scowled. "Make sure it doesn't get infected, and if it starts to hurt just come to me. I'll take care of it. The intake nurse should have ordered you to get it healed."

I shrugged.

"It's fine. What were you saying about dango?" I asked, pulling the conversation away.

She started talking again, and Kiba began his teasing of her easily.

I could feel something crawl across my hand though-twitching a finger, I realized it was a bug. A beetle. It started at the tip of my pointer finger and travelled halfway down my palm.

I looked up at Shino.

"Leaving yourself purposely injured is dangerous." He says quietly.

"And getting a medic to waste precious chakra on something so small when any minute someone could come in injured is foolish." I bartered back.

He didn't argue, just nodded, and the beetle lifted itself and flew back to Shino's hand where it crawled under his jacket.

My eyes traced on the words of his book before turning back my meal.

Sighing as I watched Ino and Kiba argue and bicker towards each other, I noticed Kiba's fond eyes, and the slight blush fixing over Ino's cheeks. I hadn't expected to see something like that. Looking back to Shino, he was drawn into his book and I stifled a sigh. I should find something to read.

Taking a sip of my drink, I sit up straight and look off into the far wall of the tent.

The horns make me nearly leap out of my seat.

Kiba and Ino are already standing, and Shino's hand is on my uninjured wrist.

"You've been paired with Kiba and I. We're being called for combat."

The entire mess hall is moving and Ino looks at Kiba, her eyes sending a message that her mouth won't, and he grins at her.

They don't look surprised though, and looking at Shino, he seems pulled together.

It's a call for combat, idiot. I immediately stand.

"Don't worry about me." And then she looks at me and smiles.

"C'mon Momo, you're with us!" Kiba shouts.

I pull down my sleeve and slip on my gloves, and place my hand on my tanto.

I follow them, but there's a hollow sense of fear that sinks in.

I follow Shino's large body quickly behind him, his body creating a force field, propelling people out of the way for him. Akamaru and Kiba are practically jumping forward, walking quickly.

We're lead through the camp until we hit a huge circle-one of the training 'arenas' that Ino had spoken to me before about. A large man stands ontop of a stool, towering over the two-hundred plus that have gathered around. Shino and Kiba make enough room for me to stand between them, but it's tight.

"You've been broken into teams of three-your orders were given to you this morning-"

My eyes shot up in confusion, but Shino and Kiba looked straight. Shino was the picture of calm, but Kiba was radiating with energy.

"Teams 1 to 50 will be stationed deep within the Land of Fire-White Zetsu's have been spotted. Our mission is to keep them out. Teams 51 to 65 will be in charge of pushing back civilians-the town name is Nori."

Immediately panic sets in as I inhale sharply.

Kiba notices it first. "What?" He mutters.

I looked back at him. "Two weeks ago I just helped evacuated three towns to Nori-over a thousand people. And they already had that many there before. They're going to need more than 42 of us to evacuate that town."

"The boy?" Shino questions.

I swallowed. "The boy is stationed in Nori. I carried him and led the three hundred other people to Nori with my team."

"Well you guys did it." Kiba remarked. I shot him a cold look.

"We had two weeks to move them. This is over two thousand people in an emergency evacuation scenario. There's no way that those teams can get everyone out. People are going to be left behind."

It's quiet between the boys before Shino speaks. "We're team 51."


	3. Chapter 3

Warnings: Death, murder, and the talk of death of a child. From now on I'll try to put the warnings in, if I remember. Also, please note that most of the towns and cities I mention are made up, but I'd imagine that since the Fire Country is so large there would be cities and towns outside of Konoha. Please read and review! Thank you for your time!

Pulling Tides

Chapter Three

It takes us a week of hard running to get to the town of Nori, White clones have been spotted near the border of Fire, but not far enough within the border to be close to any towns that have inhabitants at the moment, which is good. The fifth division so far has set up a line, and has been fighting them since they crossed the border.

The rest of us are currently stationed inside and around Nori, waiting.

Nori wasn't how I remember it. It's been two weeks-and it has doubled in it's occupancy. Luckily, they had began evacuations, but with 4,000 instead of 2,000 it's still a struggle. Truth be told, I'm not quite sure how they plan on us getting everyone out on time.

Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru were used to this hard running; and a part of me was, but I don't think I expected to go back to the place that I had just left two weeks ago.

It was jarring to me, all the battlefields and the destruction we'd run through. The smell of chakra burnt flesh was becoming a normal smell to me, and the smell of copper always hung in the air.

Kiba grinned when we passed through the border, so excited to be close to home.

Shino hadn't made any real indication that he was excited, but he seemed to be more...twitchy, if you could say so.

I was high strung, I knew it. My mind hadn't stopped jumping around and I was glad that we had done so much running. I hadn't touched a soldier pill yet-but I planned on it the second I needed it.

My chakra reserves were pretty well stocked, so I didn't plan on touching one of those pills until I had too. We slept sparingly, but truth be told it was easier to sleep on the ground in a bedroll than on the cot.

But when we got to Nori it was late and evacuations had ended for the time being.

"So, where are your teammates?" Kiba asked nonchalantly.

"Sho is in the First Division. Tadashi is in the Second."

"Sho and Tadashi, huh? What are they like?" He asks.

Confused, I look at him strangely. For most of the trip, Kiba had talked continuously. But he rarely asked questions about my personal life. Mostly he left open ended conversations for me to place my own input, but I never did.

"Why?" I asked.

He shrugs.

Sighing, I look forward. "They're both intelligent, but Sho is bull-headed. Tadashi...Tadashi is he's whatever he has to be."

"That's...pretty negative." Kiba replied.

I shrugged. "We didn't always get along. Tadashi was the easiest to get along with, and Sho was pretty sociable so long as he got his way, but together they could be pretty insufferable. But, they were good teammates when it came down to the wire. They were dependable."

There's silence in the air before Kiba turns to Shino.

"Is that how you talk about me?" He asked, eyes narrowed.

Shino doesn't answer and I roll my eyes.

"They didn't appreciate that they had a civilian born Kunoichi on their team. According to them, Kunoichi were already inherently weak, so a civilian would just get in the way."

A look of realization hit Kiba.

"They thought you were weak?" Kiba asked.

I nodded.

"Che, that would piss me off." He said offhandedly.

I nodded, and turned over to Shino.

"In the morning, do we resume evacuations? There's still over two thousand left, or do we protect Nori?"

"Our orders are to evacuate but hold Nori, we protect this gate.." He says.

I can barely see his face-just a small piece poking out under his hood, high collar and sunglasses. He's tapping his knee in a rhythm, staring out towards the North, back against the gate.

It's nearly midnight and we're staying just outside of Nori, the rest of the teams are scattered amongst Nori. There's a full moon and the wind is starting to get crisper-winter is coming. Which means that it must be even worse back at camp. It snowed in Konoha-but only a bit and during harsh winters. But the air was colder than it had been for a few years, which wasn't a very good sign.

"So, in the morning we resume?" I clarified, and he nodded.

"You should sleep. I'll keep watch."

Kiba grinned and sat down next to his teammate, sharing a few words as I walked away and into the two-person tent.

"Wake me up when your watch is over." I told them both. Though, they were stuck in their own conversation.

Akamaru though, he slipped into the tent with me, curling around me and I wished that he could follow me everywhere, with his all-encasing warmth.

I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to take over.

* * *

It's the screams again-that little boy. I can smell burnt flesh all over again, the sticky burt feeling under my fingers as the boy screams over and over again until he coughs up blood, his throat is raw and broken.

I can feel his body give out energy again-and the panic that seizes in my chest as I hear another explosion behind us.

"Run! Run! Momo! Don't stop!" I can hear Tadashi screaming, Takeo-sensei was fighting something behind us.

Sho was struggling, hard, his head was bleeding and I hadn't been able to properly wrap it. The forest is burning around us-families scrambling behind us.

I don't know what's chasing us, and to be honest I don't want too.

The boy in my arms is unconcious, but I can still feel his chakra signal-it's fading. I don't really know how much longer I can take it when I see that gate-Nori.

Shinobi fly past me, my vision has been blurring from the smoke for the last half an hour. Whoever did this, they would pay.

I keep running to the medic tent. I can smell copper and vomit and shit. The entire city is screaming and there are people hurdled out on the street, desperately trying to keep warm.

There, it's covered in blood.

Someone takes the boy out of my hands, and I turn back, wanting to vomit at the screaming-all the blood, the pieces of body hanging out.

I head straight back to the battle.

And then I'm awake.

It's quiet but not quite silent.

I can hear the blood rushing to my head, and I count to ten before letting out a steady breath. I turn, and Shino's asleep, nose twitching.

He sleeps with his sunglasses on. He looks calm, though to me, Shino always does.

Akamaru isn't curled around me anymore-so I quietly shift out of the tent. Kiba's keeping watch, but he looks confused when I walk out.

"You've still got a half an hour." He says quietly.

I shook my head, and I could see my breath in the air. The air is cold and seeping into my bones. But truth be told, I would prefer this weather over camps weather.

"I'm not going to be able to sleep anymore. Might as well let you sleep." He shrugs, standing up with Akamaru following closely behind.

I sit down, and close my eyes.

Focusing on a single point, I open my subconscious and begin searching for chakra signals.

As I go through, I name each one I know, and for those I don't, I do my best to put a face to the chakra instead of a name.

It's a game that Takeo-sensei had taught us.

Sensing movement, I focus my attention to the north of us.

The fighting had stilled somewhat.

I could feel Shino's insects flutter around the field before us, a warning and a trap.

I extended my reaches further-searching for how far they were.

A beetle flew down and landed on my shoulder.

As team 51, should they get past the other teams, we were the last line of defense.

Truth be told, it seemed eerie.

The waiting game, just sitting here, waiting to, well, possibly die.

I didn't really like it.

More frequently, I was beginning to wonder if I was really built for this; built for war and for the life of a Shinobi.

Katsu had once told me when we were little that he had wanted to be a Shinobi. He made me promise that we would both become shinobi and become the strongest civilian team known to Konoha, maybe even the world.

That was the summer before Greenfield Fever swept across our village. His little body hadn't been able to sustain it.

After he died, mother and I had left to Konoha, to live in the city. There she met Masota, married him, and hat Hitomi.

Those years without a sibling had been hard.

It terrified my mother when I begged her to join the academy-Masota had convinced her that it was something that I should at least try.

I don't think either of them expected it to go so far.

I wish he was here with me-his happiness and his optimism.

I think that was partly the reason I couldn't work with Sho and Tadashi, other than the fact that they were ignorant, they weren't Katsu. Katsu was my better half-cheerful where I was quiet and reserved.

But I was glad that Katsu wasn't here. He shouldn't have to see things like this; like that little boy. Or all the pain that war brings on.

He deserved better.

* * *

Shino woke at dawn, but didn't wake Kiba.

He sat down at the fire I had kept going and didn't say anything for a while.

He looked too peaceful to bother him.

Instead, I began searching for chakra again.

The line had receded, but held. The reinforcements would be coming in two days-we were the emergency force they had sent out.

The beetle that has stayed on my shoulder flutters against my neck quickly, jumping up and crawling across my neck.

I don't move to shake it off, just look towards Shino.

"The line has held, but they've lost room. If they keep it up the way that they have, the reinforcements will be here in time. But to be honest, I don't know how they could. They'll be drained of chakra quickly, and if the size of the army is as the scouts stated, there's no way that they could." I explained.

He nods and calls for Kiba.

I pull out the rations and hand one to him, setting some aside for Kiba and Akamaru.

Kiba stumbles from the tent with Akamaru closely behind him.

They plop down between Shino and I and immediately begins eating.

I focus more on the battle north of us-eyes closed and concentrating.

The small city behind us has begun to wake, with people trickling into the streets with their belongings, leaving the town for Konoha. It would be a day and a half walk for most, though those who are injured would take longer if they didn't get an escort.

They're being evacuated in sections; which is helpful but slow. The ones closest to the gate have left first, which, if it comes down to it, makes it a bit easier to fight here.

Although I'm not quite sure how Shino, Kiba, Akamaru, and I will handle with White Zetsu clones.

I've never fought them. And to be honest, I was hoping that I could last a little bit longer with not fighting them.

"Well, at least half of Nori is vacated." Kiba says. "With the extra help they said that they should be able to get around 500 people out by nightfall, but that they were going to continue to do it all through the night. I don't know how they're going to do that though.

"Some of the teams have set up camping sites for those who really have to stop." I replied.

"When did they do that?" Kiba asked.

"They've had it."

He looked confused, but then shrugged.

"They're set up for the refugees. They set them up six months ago." I explained. "They have rations and water, and they're there for small breaks, no more than a day."

"Huh." He mumbled.

I handed him the rest of my rations and he took them, splitting it between Akamaru and himself.

I hate eating heavy meals, especially when a battle is close. Instead I generally prefer eating food that lasts and water.

Not to mention, rations suck.

Kiba begins talking, though not about anything or to anyone in particular.

I turned to Shino who didn't even react.

I turned forward and began focusing on the battle ahead of us.

The line was moving back and forth, struggling back and forth. The longest break between fights had been 5 hours.

Not quite long enough to generate enough chakra.

"Che, they're so slow." Kiba muttered.

I looked up at him. "Most of them are losing or have lost everything they've ever fought to accomplish; homes, businesses, lives. Some of them have lost families, wives, husbands, children, parents, friends. They don't want to leave behind the happiness that they've felt here."

There's a knowing and understanding silence that follows.

I don't remember the trip to Konoha, but I remember how I felt, angry that we were leaving Katsu behind, even if it was to his grave, and sadness that my home was now lost.

I remember my mother's face, though. The all-consuming pain.

"The guy that burned that kid. Did you kill him?" He asked suddenly.

I paused for a second, slightly surprised at the question.

"No. My sensei did."

Kiba looks down at me in a sense of wonder. "You're so young. You've never killed anyone, have you?" My eyes narrowed.

"I didn't kill that man. I never said I haven't killed anyone. This is war, Kiba. It doesn't discriminate based on age or profession. Everyone is affected. Perhaps some more than others, but everyone is affected. Whether it's by being forced to take lives or watch them be taken, or both. None of us is safe, or innocent." I chose my words carefully, not wanting to be angry, because I wasn't. At least, I wasn't angry at him. I was angry at Sasuke Uchiha. Angry at the Akatsuki, the White Zetsu, and the men and women that prey on the harsh condition that war creates. Angry at those who prey on the weak.

He nodded. "You're still too young." He says quietly, almost to himself.

I looked forward, focusing on the forest around us.

This war was becoming overwhelming, surrounding itself in everything, stealing the air from my body.

I closed my eyes again and I counted the chakra signals that left the village, trickling in and out.

It was past noon when I felt it.

An enemy coming from the west, sweeping through fast and hard.

Shooting up, Kiba leaped back and away-shocked.

"Enemy, West, ten klicks."

Kiba and Akamaru growled, and Shino stood, and I looked at them.

Our orders were to man the gate.

"How strong is the chakra signal?" He asks.

Focusing, I silently slipped back to focus on the chakra signal.

"It's...strong. Whoever it is, they're healthy. But it's not overwhelmingly strong. So they're limited in a sense. And it's alone. I don't sense anyone else with them."

"I'll go-" Kiba interrupts, but is stopped by Shino.

"We need it ended quick. Momo, you use genjutsu? Find out what they want and finish it."

Takeo-sensei had once told me that the most important thing I had on my side was my looks.

I was small, young looking, and unimposing. I could use that. I would be underestimated. He told me that they would see my brown eyes and laugh at the possibility I could kill them without even touching them. He told me that my blonde hair and sweet smile would make them manipulatable. He told me that I would have more control of a situation than I thought I would.

The chakra signal belonged to a Ito, Ryuu.

He was a bastard who preyed on those who couldn't fight back. He'd blow through towns, taking from the weak. He's escaped imprisonment multiple times since the war started. He's been involved in multiple raids and has killed anyone who gets in his way.

Until Shinobi are involved.

Then he runs like the coward he is.

He had been there that night, the night that the village had burned down. He had been raiding with that group.

He nearly maimed Sho.

And he got out of there too fast for us to have dealt with him.

Those had been our orders.

Placing myself in front of him, he stops.

His eyes are the color of Kunai, like cold steel. Scars are muddled all over his face. He's covered in blood.

"Ryuu Ito. I didn't think I'd see you again like this." I spoke openly.

"Che, you're that Kunoichi that took Misaki down, aren'tya?"

I nod easily.

"Did you find another crew to raid with? Or are you running with your tail between your legs again from another fight?" I mocked. "Again, might I add."

He snarled. "I'll have to kill you, won't I? Che, you are so annoying. But just wait, more of those clone freaks are coming, down the mountains. Maybe I'll let you live so you can tell your friends. Or maybe I'll play with you first, then leave you to those freaks. Tell me little girl, are you a virgin? God I'd love to get between those thighs of yo-"

In seconds, I was behind him, tanto in hand, imbedded in his back-he falls to the ground lifeless. There's blood pouring from him as I pull the blade from his back and heart. Stepping away from the pooling blood I sigh.

"Thank you for your cooperation and information, Ito."

I can feel them coming, I don't know why I didn't sense it earlier. It's foolish that I didn't sense it earlier.

I pull out my summons immediately, calling for two summons.

The wolves appear, growling. One is a solid black, with vibrant hazel eyes. The other is brown and grey colored, with black eyes.

"What do you want, Kunoichi?" They speak together, obviously unhappy to have been called forth.

"One of you go to the front lines, tell them that more of the White clones are coming from the Western Mountains, it's about the same size of army as we're fighting now. They'll have half-a-day until they get ten klicks from Nori. The second one is to go past the front lines, slightly east to Mifune, his camp is marked as the Fifth Division, Samurai will be there. Tell him the same. Tell them that Momo Kaga of team 51 sent you. Then report back as needed."

They both growled, but lept off into the same direction.

I turned back to camp, running hard to get back as fast as possible.

When I do get there, Kiba is practically radiating with energy, and Shino looks still.

"We have a problem." I say immediately.

"What? Did he get away?"

"No, he was easy to dispatch. The problem is the White clones coming from the mountains to the West of us. I've already sent out word to the front lines and to Mifune-sama. We have about a half a day."

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Kiba yells, agitated and frustrated. I don't really blame him-none of our scouts had mentioned anything like the army that was coming from the west.

I looked at Shino. "They need to evacuate faster. And we need a larger army here. We will be decimated if we don't get them out of here in time." He nods.

"Kiba, go tell the others to quicken things up."

Shino's kikai are suddenly swarming around him, and darting off into every which direction.

One places itself on my shoulder, crawling just above my collar.

I swallow hard.

I don't think we're going to be getting out of this one like I did last time.

Suddenly I can hear the screams all over again, the flames licking my skin.

I can smell ash and burnt skin.

"Are you alright?" Shino asks, watching me hard.

I looked at him-wondering what he'd say if I told him the truth; that I was terrified. That I wasn't ready for this and I sure as hell hadn't been ready for Sho to nearly die on me, no matter how much we fought. I wondered what he would say when I told him that I cried over and over the nights following those until I had reached camp, mainly because I couldn't get the energy to cry again.

Shino is looking hard at me, partially looking like he desperately wants out of the conversation that he had accidently started and the other half too polite to do so.

I looked forward, squaring my jaw.

"I'm fine."


	4. Chapter 4

Violence, mutilation, all that gory stuff. Please note, there is a small section that implies possible sexual assault, briefly. It isn't carried very far. Thank you for your time and for reading my work.

A very special thanks to MinakoTrickster! I really appreciate the time you took to review and thank you for all of your kind words. I recently actually just had a conversation with my boyfriend that I really wished that the other characters in Naruto had been more present. Shino and Ino in particular had always been a point of curiosity for me. I know Ino did pretty well with screen time compared to others, but I always kind of wished that she had been known more being herself as compared to Sakura's rival and friend. Shino was just...interesting. I'm not a fan of bugs per se but I always appreciated how intelligent, strong, and silently caring he was of his teammates. I think that's why I've kind of given him the 'protector' role as I have? Maybe? Kiba I've always liked as he's pretty wild but incredibly loyal, and Akamaru was sooo adorable. As for Momo, thank you for your feedback. I've been trying to work on her having flaws. And I think most of that comes in the way that she sees herself and her own strength in a way. She's unsure and she's terrified but unwilling to back down. I knew when I started writing this I wanted it to be darker, because war is Hell on Earth, and I don't think they really touched on how that can affect you mentally in the manga/show. I also didn't want to make her super strong because quite honestly, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi are on a whole other level. And I don't really appreciate character bashing, though Sasuke isn't going to be viewed at in a very...welcoming light. I don't know, I never hated him per se but I always felt like his anger was his undoing and he threw away the friendship that could have helped him so easily and I never liked that. But I certainly do not plan on character bashing. Pointing out flaws are one thing to me, but ridiculing everything and every little thing that is done is just...not my thing I guess you could say. Anyway, thank you for your review and your time, it really made me feel great!

Pulling Tides

Chapter Four

Our first B-level mission went to shit. I was still a genin, it was war. It was to be expected.

I killed a lot of people that night. I dragged Sho and Tadashi behind me-Sho was the only one who had helped that night.

Tadashi had freaked out when he woke from his beating. He woke up surrounded by bodies. Takeo-sensei out on a more important mission. He didn't understand for a few days what had happened. And when he did, the twitch in his fingers increased, almost like a tic.

I killed twelve people that night.

I didn't think about it when I did it-instinct and the drive to survive took over. I don't remember how I killed all of them, I just know that I did. It was then that I realized that I was specifically good at killing. I was a decent Shinobi, up until that point. I competed well with my teammates, but I wasn't exceptional.

But that day, it was like something had taken over.

I remember being on the ground; they'd overwhelmed me, my team, cutting circles on my arm, dragging the kunai up and down. I could feel it-but I wasn't aware of the pain at that moment. All I could really feel was the pounding in my chest, the blood rushing and the disgusting laughter. It shook my chest and my soul. I was drowning in it.

Tadashi was beaten and bloody, Sho in the process of it.

Then one of them grabbed my thighs-forcing them open. He ripped the pants I was wearing, tearing them off. He grabbed forward, squeezing my thigh hard. I could smell blood and bile on his breath.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Sho, they ripped his shirt off, tearing at his skin, laughing with glee. He was struggling hard when they placed the knife on the side of his face, cutting from his ear, across his cheek and to his nose. I can see blood drip from a flap of skin, his eyes trying so hard not to let the tears fall. His chest is rising fast-and then they press a finger hard between the torn skin.

I moved faster than I thought was physically possible, ripping my arm from one of their hands, grabbing the kunai and stabbing the man on top of me in the eye.

My speed and size was a plus-I slipped through them, flipping over, and slitting a throat, two throats, three. No, technically that was a stab. and I cracked skull with a chakra filled foot.

The rest was a blur, but when I came too, it was to Sho. We were surrounded by bodies covered in blood. I was clutching my kunai in my hands, gasping and twirling around trying to understand what had happened and searching for a no longer present danger.

He was staring at me in horror, face, dripping with blood. I had never seen him that vulnerable.

He was pulling off his pants, forcing it on me, struggling to put them on me, I grab onto his shoulder and he's suddenly covered in even more blood. It was then that I realized that my legs were cold and that my arm was numb, but radiating warmth. And spewing out blood.. He grabbed his torn shirt and used it to make a tourniquet, wrapping it harshly around my arm. It would scar. Horribly. And it did. But I did regain feeling and use.

He was whispering to me.

"They're dead, they're dead. They can't hurt you anymore. They won't, I won't let them. You won't let them, Momo, give me your kunai, your arm-you're losing blood. Momo, I won't hurt you, I promise. I'm so sorry."

In my head I didn't understand what was going on.

All I knew was that I wanted my mom. I wanted Takeo-sensei. I wanted Sho to go back to being his insufferable self, not the crying and terrified little boy that stood in front of me.

I wanted Tadashi to be awake and okay.

I wanted out of this war.

I had that bruise for a week, on my thigh. I wouldn't let anyone touch me for a month after that. Even Takeo-sensei, I'd flinch. After the first two times, he stopped trying to touch me until I initiated it.

But I had learned something. I was good at killing. Takeo-sensei, when he came back from his mission had found us all together. It had been the first time since we had met that we all willingly chose to be with each other outside of training or missions. We didn't fight as much after that, even if we didn't like eachother, we cared. We all fought for each other.

He understood immediately that something was wrong. Tadashi had told him pieces. Sho filled in the rest.

He never asked me.

He started training me harder after that. Teaching me faster ways to kill, teaching me more complicated taijutsu that was tailored to my small size and my speed. But Takeo-sensei never let me out of his sight. Even when it was just going through the motions, killing everything in sight with a focused, determined, but detached, he still watched over me.

He was the one who told me that I was good enough to be a Shinobi. Good enough to be a soldier. He told me that killing was apart of war, to look at it as apart of my job. He told me that while I was good at it, not to look at it as a reflection of who I was. He told me that it meant that I was good at protecting the people I love, if I was good at killing in war.

But how do you kill something that won't die?

The White clones were fast, strong, and more of a problem than I anticipated: and I anticipated.

Ducking, I swung out, tanto infused chakra in hand, slicing a clone in half.

It fell to the ground, still moving. One came to my side and I side stepped, flipping over, grabbing it's head and tearing it off with a lunge forward.

I moved onto the next one-dancing around, swinging under flying hands and body parts as I hacked and swung.

I could hardly focus on anything other than the piling limbs.

Someone was burning them as they went-smart idea and so far the only way that I'd seen them truly fall apart. But the only problem was that it took time.

Ducking from a swing, I bring up the tanto and impale it in a head, and drag it down again, slicing across its chest. Leaping over it, I moved onto the next one.

It was like going through the motions, not particularly hard to do mentally, but hard on my body. It took so much effort to tear them apart, to dodge, to pull a fellow chuunin out of one of their grasps.

The bodies were beginning to regenerate.

And so far there was only twenty of us here, with an overwhelming amount coming.

Word had gotten back; hold Nori at all costs.

Back up was coming.

But they didn't say when.

Save as much chakra as possible Shino had ordered, eyes narrowed as they approached. Kiba was seething, a wild and animalistic...thing had taken over.

Akamaru was snarling.

Soldier pill in my pack, just in case, I could fight hours like this-but not days.

I don't have that type of strength. I'm not Naruto Uzumaki or Sakura Haruno.

I'm Momo, civilian born. Civilian raised. A part of me wondered if I was just a little girl playing a role, but another, darker part of me knew that I was meant for this. I was too good at killing things. Too much of a killer to truly be a civilian. Maybe it was just my mind struggling to hold up under the blood bath.

Katsu wouldn't of have made it out here. I wouldn't have wanted him to be here.

Shino was terrifyingly fast-faster than I am. Vicious, as he tore apart the clones with his kunai, bombs, and kikai. A part of me had expected for him to take higher ground, but he cornered his opponent, then tore them apart. He moved eerily accurately, never wasting a single movement.

Kiba worked together with Akamaru to tear apart the clones. They worked in unison, never taking a faulty step. Always understanding who would go where, who went first. It was like they were one. He was chaos, erratic but functional in this battle. So opposite to Shino that they fit. He was the storm to Shino's ice cold ferocity.

We were holding the line. Viciously and tearing apart as many of them apart as fast as possible.

There was an acrid smell of sweat, blood, vomit, and poison mixed with the smell of ashes and fire.

My legs were on fire, burning with exertion in a familiar way. It was all coming back, the flashes of the forest which would probably not regain its lush green in my lifetime. The clones though, they seemed to be flammable in a way that was somewhat terrifying.

They went up-and just kept fighting until they couldn't anymore and then they just turned to ash.

But it's taking too long. They were catching each other on fire but they were also spreading it.

I just want it all to end. I've had enough of fire for a lifetime.

* * *

They called for a ash bath. The sky was filled with soot, clouding the already cloudy sky. It was morning again, technically. Though, I couldn't really tell. When the ash bath had started it was dark out, but it had looked like the sun was beginning to rise.

Seated facing the closed gate of Nori, I wondered if the chakra wall would break under the intense heat of the fire they'd created to take down the clones.

I was leaning up against a building, Kiba laying flat, caught somewhere between sleep and hypervigilance. He was silent, eyes closed.

But at the slightest sound out of the ordinary, like a scream, he was up, watching with his dark eyes.

Akamaru was covered in mud and ashes. He sat protectively in front of Kiba, and for a second I realized that I always seen him as a pet, not a trained shinobi, a part of Kiba.

Shino stood to my opposite side. The edges of his hooded cloak touched my shoulders.

We fought for twenty seven hours-and my chakra was nearly depleted.

My hands were shaking-not used to the lack of movement or purpose, I hadn't stopped since I was actually torn out of the fight by Shino. I was too focused and unfocused, I didn't even hear the order that was given. But Shino hadn't hesitated, I think he realized early on that he may have to pull me out. I was terrified of stopping because if I did then my body would truly give in and then I wasn't quite sure I could get back up.

My clothes were soaked in blood, a mixture of my own and my own comrades. I had scrapes on my face, above my left eyebrow, I pushed the blonde bangs back, shaking as even more sweat bleed into the blisters and torn fingers from handling the tanto.

It had been Takeo-sensei who had encouraged me to use chakra to infuse the tanto. It had worked, remarkably well, but it was a hassle to keep that amount of chakra control during a fight that spanned for hours.

My chest had just stopped heaving.

There was a beetle placed just under my ear, close to Kiba and Akamaru. It had stayed there after my first injury.

A slice to the side of my waist.

It would heal easily once cleaned but I didn't have the energy and we didn't quite have a medic at the moment.

I turned to look up at Shino who was focused on the ash bath.

I stretched out my legs slowly.

Exhaustion was beginning to take hold, and hold hard.

"Go to sleep, Momo." I grunted.

"Ash bath can only be so effective. It takes them forever to go up in flames and turn to ash." I murmur. The heat was beginning to spread and for the first time in a long time I was actually sweating without exertion. It was making me tired to the bones. But the ash bath was a new thing; we weren't quite sure how well it would work.

"You overtaxed yourself." It was getting hard to fight it, and while I sort of wanted to glare at him for being so cocky, I was tired. So instead of fighting I nodded, turning to lean up against his standing figure. The ground and wooden wall wasn't a bedroll or even that cot I slept on for a night at camp.

He shifted, but didn't pull away.

"You smell better than Kiba." I whispered in exhaustion and explanation, eyes slipping closed as the heat sinks into my body, easing the pain somewhat. For once, underneath the sweat and exertion I smelt forest instead of blood or chakra burns.

He doesn't say anything, but he doesn't shift away.

And then I close my eyes, letting the hazy tiredness take over.

"Just...wake me up when you need to rest. And I mean it." I said quietly.

I woke up fast-disorientation hitting me hard as I held my breath, trying to focus on where I was.

Taking a deep breath in, the smell of vomit and blood was strong; but not stronger than the smell of fire.

I was still leaning against Shino, who was in the same position as before.

Groaning, I stood up, sliding up the wooden walls. My knees and wrists cracked and my neck throbbed. I take a sharp breath as blood rushes to my head, and I feel a hand grab me, keeping me from falling over. I grasp back onto it, warm, strong and calloused. I hold onto it like an anchor and steady my breathing before I let go and slowly stand to full height, which isn't very tall.

My entire body was stiff, aching, and burning.

Kiba was fast asleep-twitching and Akamaru was keeping an eye out.

"What's happened?" I ask thickly.

He doesn't say anything at first.

I can still sense them-but they're dying off.

"Mifune has ordered us to stay here. The ash bath is working. They're going to be spreading the information across the borders."

I looked at him, the fire had worked. "Ash bath is dangerous though, all that wildlife...they'd need to teach too many people the ninjutsu to keep these shields up. If anyone loses one of those clones..." I muttered.

I could only imagine. Towns going up in flames. Homes destroyed.

But then again, that was already happening. Entire towns left abandoned.

"It's the only thing that's worked." He replied evenly.

I nod, and then look at him.

"Are you going to rest?"

He turned, staring evenly. "No."

I rolled my eyes and stretched.

"How long was I out?"

I turn to look at Kiba as I hear a snore.

"Three hours." He says.

"That's it?" I muttered, kicking a stone.

"You sleep like the dead." He noted.

I didn't use to. I use to move, constantly.

Not anymore.

I turned to inspect him.

Even after a full day and some hours, he looked composed.

I was dead tired, but there was no way that I could continue in that position.

"They will be doling out appartments soon. No more civilians are here. Nori will become a military stronghold." He says calmly, watching over Kiba and I. "They're going to be shipping us back to camp next week, once Nori is settled."

I sniff in, nose clogged, and I wonder if Ino is okay.

"We will be placed as a permanent team within the fifth division. It seems that we work well enough together that they will not separate us for now." I blinked, slightly surprised.

Although, it wasn't like we hadn't gotten along.

A part of me missed Sho and Tadashi, but was glad that I no longer had to deal with their misconceptions and ignorance.

A genin appears in front of us in a flash and I flinch, startled into action. Kiba is awake and standing, Akamaru growling.

Shino's hand shoots out, across my face to grab Kiba, to calm him.

The genin stumbles his apologies, immediately backing up several feet before giving us an apartment name and room number.

"M-Mifune-s-sama said you have a full day to recuperate. H-help yourself to t-the apartment." He stumbles out.

I swallow, ducking under Shino's arm before patting the kids head.

"Next ones you approach, do so from a distance." I say quietly. He nods.

"Y-Yes Kaga-san!" He runs off and I turn to look at them.

Kiba is still on high alert but he's fading fast.

"C'mon." I mutter.

The apartment building is in the middle of Nori, tall but older looking. It's far away fromt the fire but the soot reminds me that it's still there, just outside of Nori.

The apartment is small, single-bedroom, with one bed and a couch, which is torn to shreds It looked like whoever was living here before had hidden something in it then tore it apart in a hurry to get out. The walls are pale and there are picture frames with no photos. There is a kitchenette and anything canned has already been taken, but most of the food still lingers. Kiba finds cookies, and we all eat them until they're gone. It's the first treat I've had in four months. I don't think I remember anything tasting so good.

We all take showers, I go first.

Under the hot water I'm tempted to spend forever, but I know it's limited. I wash off the grime, the blood. I spend extra time cleaning the wounds. The soap smells strong, but clean.

I then dress in a left over shirt and shorts. Kiba found them in the drawers. There was enough clothes for each of us, and tomorrow we'd have to clean the blood stained ones. But today we were tired. The shirt hit past mid-thigh and the short went mid-calf. Whoever lived here before was sized closer to Shino, who was broader than I thought he was, underneath all those layers.

I climb into the middle of the bed, unwilling to be pressed into a wall, and wanting to be surrounded by steady breathing. It was how I slept with Takeo-sensei, Tadashi, and Sho on missions. For the first time in a long time, I actually feel comfortable. I actually feel clean. I feel...safe. But I also felt the weariness bone deep.

Maybe it's being so close to home. Maybe it's because this apartment reminds me of the one I shared with mother and Katsu when I was young. Of the bed we all shared. Maybe it makes me more willing to give in for one night.

The curtains are all closed, but the ash in the sky will block out the sun for a day at least.

Shino climbs into bed next, closest to the door and the window. His kikai have taken residence all over the house, guarding and protecting. The kikai he had placed on me had returned after the shower to my neck.

Kiba and Akamaru come last. Kiba to my back and Akamaru at my feet. Both are asleep almost instantly. Kiba is sleeping on his side, facing my back. I realize somewhat amused, that we are both facing Shino, who has been our protector this entire time. Shino who has kept us sane, with his silent but constant and unwavering stability. Shino is quiet, and I'm unsure of if he's asleep but I don't really know but he looks the most peaceful since I've met him.

It's quiet. And it reminds me of home. It reminds me of before.


	5. Chapter 5

So I mentioned last chapter in the disclaimer of sorts, that this is an AU, and there would be things that are changed. The White Zetsus were nearly indestructible, but I plan on changing that, somewhat. I also am not going to focus as much on the main storyline of Naruto, but I am following it to a degree. There will be events that differ from the Manga and like I said before, I want to delve deeper into the dark on this as well as delve into the psychological struggles that people face when they go to war. It's more of a loose connection to the Manga when it comes to timeline and events. Thank you all for your time, and please leave a review if you can! It's much appreciated!

Pulling Tides

Chapter Two

I think the worst thing so far about being a rookie, at this time at least, was all of the seminars. The last thing I had expected when I was promoted to the front lines was seminars. We were at war-which seemed to be more still than I expected. I also didn't expect there to be so many seminars. Seminars on the importance of following order, staying in groups, what the white zetsus are, why we are at war, and sex.

Ino laughed at me when I looked particularly confused at the last one.

"Most of the time, we sit here, nursing the injured or waiting for orders. What do you think people do all day? Train? Sit around? Stare into the abyss of snow?"

And finally the medical exam.

I would have felt more comfortable if it was Ino-but it wasn't. And they didn't have my file, which made it even worse. I hated being in the doctor's office. Even before I became a shinobi.

"Any disabilities or hindering injuries worth noting?" The medic asked, unenthusiastically. She was a bit plain faced with brown hair and brown eyes. Her bored expression was a bit grating; because I wanted out of here as fast as possible and she looked about ready to throw me out herself. Her eye lashes though, they were jealousy inducing.

"No, not anymore." I replied.

She raised a disbelieving eyebrow and nodded towards my bare arm; heavily scarred, but healed. The burn marks on my hand had healed nearly completely. Just some scabbing and blistering on the inside of the wrist.

"It doesn't hurt. Just cosmetic." She sighed, writing it down anyways. It wasn't completely true; but compared to how it felt two weeks ago, I could deal. I could use it without wanting to punch something; so it's perfectly fine.

"Any history of illness?"

"I had greenfield fever when I was a child." Her eyebrows rose, writing it down quickly.

"And no side effects because of it? No heavy breathing, or dizzy spells? Frequent colds?

"No. Not anymore."

She paused, before flipping her paper over. "Any history of sexually transmitted infections or viruses?"

Trying not to choke, I shook my head no.

"Are you a virgin?" She asked, eyeing up and down.

"Yes." I muttered, trying my best not to blush. We were at war for kami's sake, why the hell was this being brought up so much? She nodded. This was getting more and more uncomfortable as time went on.

"Is your menstruation cycle regular?" She asked.

Nodding, I prayed that this would be over soon.

"It is highly recommended that you take contraception, regardless of whether or not you plan on having sex anytime soon. Even if you have a regular period, it will help alleviate pain and lighten your cycle." I nodded. "It comes in tea form, just drink at least once a week and it'll work-but it's best used if you drink it for the first month at least three times a week, they hand it out at breakfast every morning. I'm sure Ino can show you. Do you have any recurring nightmares?" Blinking, I struggled to take in all of that information all at once.

I shook my head no. A lie. And she could tell-but she didn't mention it or call me out on it.

"Well, if you ever do happen to develop them, there is a medication that can help with them. A lot of shinobi use them."

"Fill out the rest of this paperwork, drop it off to the secretary and you're done."

I did so quickly before I left hastily, only to run into Ino.

"Awkward, huh?" She said, eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, it was. That tea?"

"I'll get it to you tomorrow, why do you plan on putting it to use anytime soon?" She asked, grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "Not likely."

She grinned, hooking her arm around my own and she began speaking in hushed tones.

"Have you ever encountered a white zetsu?" She asked seriously.

"Seen them, but most of my missions were to evacuate towns before they got there."

She nodded.

"They're impossible to kill. Make sure that they don't touch you-they'll drain chakra from just your touch. That tanto of yours will have to be put to good use, but you should start working on deepening your chakra reserves. All you can really do when they show up is injure them enough that they can't move-but they won't die. Cut off their heads, arms, cut them in half, anything. Be careful, be precise."

I looked up at her-but she wasn't focusing on me. Her eyes were serious and cold.

"There's thousands of them, but recently they've shown the ability to regenerate-albeit slowly. But how do you fight an enemy who can regenerate, fight, and move without stopping when you're just human?"

I frowned. "Well, if they're clones, there must be some sort of weakness. Theoretically, I mean? Everything has a weakness. Even Gods." She shrugged.

"None that we've found so far. But then again, this war is turning out to be much longer than I think anyone expected. Sasuke Uchiha recently just took out an entire city-hundreds were killed and thousands dislocated from any sort of help. It's been a struggle and we haven't found a way to stop them."

I frowned but I didn't reply.

"You have an animal summons?" I looked back at her, nodding. "How'd you do that?"

"My sensei. My teammates and I have very different styles of fighting, so in order to adjust to each of us, he taught me an Animal Summons while he taught them some more advanced ninjutsu. It' proved useful since the War has started."

"What is it?"

"What is what?" Kiba asked, Akamaru happily by his side.

"Momo has an animal summons, I want to know what it is." His eyebrows rose-and then he grinned.

"You have an animal summons? What is it?"

"I already asked that, baka." Ino snapped and then turned, putting herself directly in my path.

I looked at both of them before sighing.

"Wolves. I can summon wolves-but they don't really like to be summoned unless it's a last ditch thing."

Kiba looked excited.

"Wolves? That's awesome! They'll probably have you use them, to send messages and such if you're on missions."

I snorted. "You'd think-but they're pretty lippy."

Ino rolled her eyes. "You don't seem like a wolf person." She said, head tilting.

I shrugged. "It's the same summon as my sensei. And they're pretty useful. They can send messages, track, and fight."

She sighed, seemingly disappointed before she grinned.

"Are you hungry? They have ramen today for lunch, which is better than the horrible soup that they make." Immediately I can feel myself being dragged to the mess hall, with a laughing Kiba following.

"So Momo, you have to tell me something interesting, I'm bored out of my mind."

Kiba grunted, but ducked under the flap entering the mess hall shortly after me, and followed us straight into line.

"I'm sure that you know more interesting things than I do, Ino."

She moaned. "There's nothing to do here. Tell me some gossip from back home."

"I...heard they might be putting in a new strip mall in Konoha?" Kiba groaned in aggravation as Ino's eyes lit up.

"Well, at least there's one positive thing out of changing things. More shopping, oh, Sakura-chan and I could get whole new outfits!"

I smiled back at her grinning face, taking the bowl of ramen and following her to a table where Shino already sat, reading a book.

Carefully I placed my bowl on the other side of him, and sat across from Ino, who wasn't quite as gentle with her bowl, spilling some broth out of the sides. Groaning, she sat down.

I could feel Shino's eyes on me-though the glasses kept the contact limited on my end. I flashed a small smile before Ino began talking animated about something that some girl named Yuki was hiding.

No one really stopped her-though Kiba included himself in the conversation, egging Ino on. Quietly I ate my lunch-not really tasting anything.

Most of the food here tasted bland.

Actually, all of the food that I've had so far is bland.

I miss my mothers cooking.

"You're injured." Blinking, I look up at Shino, whose staring at my scarred hand. I realized that I hadn't put my gloves back on.

Ino and Kiba halt their conversation and Ino grabs my hand, eyes narrowing.

"This is older, maybe a week or two old?" she says as she rolls up my shirt to show more scarring. "And this is even older. The blistering and scabbing though, why didn't you get it healed?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

"I did, when it first happened. But the medics were more focused on the person I pulled out of the fire than my hand. So I just made sure that it was clean and let it heal naturally after the first healing session. The rest of the scarring is from before the war."

"You pulled someone out of a fire?" Kiba asked, looking surprised.

"Fire jutsu. One of my missions before being promoted was evacuating a town under control of rogue nins. They didn't really care about civilian casualties."

"Is the person you pulled out of the fire okay?" Ino asked, as Kiba began inspecting my hand over Ino's shoulder, who is presumably looking for any sign of infection.

"50% of his body was badly burned. They did what they could, but it's unlikely he'll ever be able to walk again." I muttered.

The boys face comes to my memory-a face that I'd been trying to forget for the last two weeks. The pain in his light blue eyes and the mortifying pain that had crippled him. I had to carrying him back for two hours as he screamed until the last hour of the trip he passed out.

They told me that if I hadn't pulled him out of the fire as I did, he'd have died.

His screams still echo in my head. When I had first met him he reminded me of my sister. It had made me remember him, and picture her when I struggled across a burning forest with all those people for three hours.

"There's no infection, you've kept this clean which is good. But why didn't you get it healed after?"

I looked up at her.

"The medics were ordered not to use chakra unless necessary. My burns were second degree, but nothing pain medication and a first round of healing couldn't fix. It doesn't really hurt anymore anyways." To be honest, it wasn't until after I started to walk back, my team realized that I had been injured.

Ino scowled. "Make sure it doesn't get infected, and if it starts to hurt just come to me. I'll take care of it. The intake nurse should have ordered you to get it healed."

I shrugged.

"It's fine. What were you saying about dango?" I asked, pulling the conversation away.

She started talking again, and Kiba began his teasing of her easily.

I could feel something crawl across my hand though-twitching a finger, I realized it was a bug. A beetle. It started at the tip of my pointer finger and travelled halfway down my palm.

I looked up at Shino.

"Leaving yourself purposely injured is dangerous." He says quietly.

"And getting a medic to waste precious chakra on something so small when any minute someone could come in injured is foolish." I bartered back.

He didn't argue, just nodded, and the beetle lifted itself and flew back to Shino's hand where it crawled under his jacket.

My eyes traced on the words of his book before turning back my meal.

Sighing as I watched Ino and Kiba argue and bicker towards each other, I noticed Kiba's fond eyes, and the slight blush fixing over Ino's cheeks. I hadn't expected to see something like that. Looking back to Shino, he was drawn into his book and I stifled a sigh. I should find something to read.

Taking a sip of my drink, I sit up straight and look off into the far wall of the tent.

The horns make me nearly leap out of my seat.

Kiba and Ino are already standing, and Shino's hand is on my uninjured wrist.

"You've been paired with Kiba and I. We're being called for combat."

The entire mess hall is moving and Ino looks at Kiba, her eyes sending a message that her mouth won't, and he grins at her.

They don't look surprised though, and looking at Shino, he seems pulled together.

It's a call for combat, idiot. I immediately stand.

"Don't worry about me." And then she looks at me and smiles.

"C'mon Momo, you're with us!" Kiba shouts.

I pull down my sleeve and slip on my gloves, and place my hand on my tanto.

I follow them, but there's a hollow sense of fear that sinks in.

I follow Shino's large body quickly behind him, his body creating a force field, propelling people out of the way for him. Akamaru and Kiba are practically jumping forward, walking quickly.

We're lead through the camp until we hit a huge circle-one of the training 'arenas' that Ino had spoken to me before about. A large man stands ontop of a stool, towering over the two-hundred plus that have gathered around. Shino and Kiba make enough room for me to stand between them, but it's tight.

"You've been broken into teams of three-your orders were given to you this morning-"

My eyes shot up in confusion, but Shino and Kiba looked straight. Shino was the picture of calm, but Kiba was radiating with energy.

"Teams 1 to 50 will be stationed deep within the Land of Fire-White Zetsu's have been spotted. Our mission is to keep them out. Teams 51 to 65 will be in charge of pushing back civilians-the town name is Nori."

Immediately panic sets in as I inhale sharply.

Kiba notices it first. "What?" He mutters.

I looked back at him. "Two weeks ago I just helped evacuated three towns to Nori-over a thousand people. And they already had that many there before. They're going to need more than 42 of us to evacuate that town."

"The boy?" Shino questions.

I swallowed. "The boy is stationed in Nori. I carried him and led the three hundred other people to Nori with my team."

"Well you guys did it." Kiba remarked. I shot him a cold look.

"We had two weeks to move them. This is over two thousand people in an emergency evacuation scenario. There's no way that those teams can get everyone out. People are going to be left behind."

It's quiet between the boys before Shino speaks. "We're team 51."


End file.
